VOLUNTEERS MISSED BIG ON 49ERS’ WILLIS

NEW ORLEANS 
49ers All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis grew up in Tennessee and wanted to attend college at Tennessee. But he played in a small high school division and was overlooked. So he went to Mississippi. Volunteers’ loss. Kind of like Rashaan Salaam going from La Jolla Country Day to winning the Heisman at Colorado.

“Growing up in Tennessee and playing I-A ball, they tend to kind of downplay and tell you, ‘Oh, he’s not that good. His level of competition is not that high,’ ” Willis said. “You can’t help the situation you’ve been given. I was someone who wasn’t going to be told otherwise. I’ve always been fueled by someone telling me I can’t do something or I’m too small or I’m too big. I just tuck it in and use it as fuel.”

There is a difference

“I think it’s two different teams,” he said. “I think the Ravens are a team just like us. Green Bay, once you stop the run, they want to throw the ball 50 times. Atlanta had some success on us throwing the ball and kind of stopped the run a bit. But the Ravens are going to continue pounding the ball. They’re more of a team like us where they want to run the ball. A really physical team, and they’re going to bring their physical presence.”

Hard to find

49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio believes there are some advantages to running the 3-4 defense. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that he has one of the more talented and physical front sevens in the NFL. But unlike so many “experts,” he doesn’t necessarily see it as a trend.

“Everything seems to have a run,” he was saying at Tuesday’s Media Day festivities at the Superdome. “The 3-4 does allow you some versatility. You do have another guy on the field who has pass responsibility as his job description, so you can mix and match a little bit better that way.”

Fangio says 3-4 players aren’t easy to find.

“That’s one of the arguments personnel people had against being a 3-4,” he said. “They felt it was hard to find outside linebackers to play that position because colleges weren’t playing the 3-4. We have good ones here in Ahmad Brooks and Aldon Smith and you always have to end up projecting some of those guys. Aldon Smith actually played more defensive tackle in college than he played defensive end.”

In need of new stop watch

San Francisco offensive coordinator Greg Roman is a fine football coach, but he needs some help in his track and field expertise. Roman was discussing the heft of his offensive line and the size and speed of his tight ends.

“We’ve got tight ends that can block, that can run 4.3-4.2 (40-yard dash times),” he said.

The only people in the audience laughing were those who don’t believe football 40-yard dash times.